Online therapy safety checklist
Before you start sessions by video or phone, run through these checks. You don’t have to tick every one, but each helps you stay safe.
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Please read. We’re a directory: we don’t provide therapy, give medical advice or diagnose, and we don’t recommend, endorse or guarantee any practitioner. Always check a practitioner’s registration yourself on the public register; any check we show was correct only on the day it was made.
Before you book
- Look up their name and number on the public register yourself. Check the name, profession and status match.
- Check they’re trained and insured to work online, and ask which country they practise from.
- Ask what happens if the connection drops, and how they’ll reach you.
Payment
- Ask for fees and the cancellation policy in writing before your first session.
- Pay through a traceable method, such as a card or invoice. Be wary of requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency or large upfront payments.
- You should never be asked for bank login details or one-time passcodes.
Privacy and the platform
- Ask which video platform they use, and whether sessions are recorded. They shouldn’t record without your agreement.
- Find a private space, use headphones if you can, and close other apps.
- Ask how they store notes and messages, and who else can see them.
Your first session
- Expect them to check your identity, your location and an emergency contact, and to explain confidentiality and its limits.
- Agree what to do if you become very distressed during a session.
- It’s fine to say if something doesn’t feel right, and to stop.
Warning signs
- Pressure to book or pay for lots of sessions at once.
- Being asked to keep the therapy secret, or to meet socially.
- Promises of a guaranteed cure.
- No registration you can check.
If something goes wrong
You can raise a concern with the practitioner’s register: the Health and Care Professions Council for regulated professions, or the professional body that runs their accredited register. If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your bank straight away and report it to Action Fraud (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Police Scotland on 101. You can also tell us about a listing.
See also online or in person? and how to check a register.
Call 999 or go to A&E if life is at risk. For urgent help that is not an emergency, call NHS 111. To talk, ring Samaritans free on 116 123 (24 hours). To text, message SHOUT to 85258.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026. General information only, written for the UK. Not affiliated with the NHS, the Health and Care Professions Council or any professional body.